Stories from Friday, December 29, 2006

Identity of dead body is released(12/29/06)SIKESTON -- Department of Public Safety officers have released the identity of the woman found lying near a roadway Friday. Sharon K. Collins, 49, was found lying unresponsive around 10 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Stoddard Street and Malone Street...

Black's House term expires(12/29/06)CHARLESTON -- As his eight-year run as 161st District State Representative comes to an end, Lanie Black said he's looking forward to starting a soil sampling business, spending a little more time in Florida and possibly working as a lobbyist. Black was elected in 1998 to serve portions of Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott and Stoddard counties. Like his cohort, 160th State Rep. Peter Myers, Black's run officially ends Sunday due to term limits...

Officials approve change in insurance(12/29/06)CHARLESTON -- Mississippi County has changed insurance plans and opted for a new agent. The changes were approved Thursday during the Commission's last regular meeting of the year. During a special meeting Dec. 19, commissioners had voted to renew with Anthem Blue Cross and reduce the projected increase in premiums by raising their deductible from $2,500 to $5,000...

Changing of the guard(12/29/06)BENTON -- After many years of service by familiar Scott County officials, changes at the county seat will take place with the coming of the new year. Scott County officials and employees gathered Thursday to celebrate the accomplishments and bid farewell to two longtime officials...

Tax deadline nears(12/29/06)Sheila Evans, a employee of the Scott County Collector's Office, stamps a check for personal property taxes Thursday morning. The Collector's Office will be open until 6 p.m. tonight to pay the yearly taxes. Taxes can also be payed online at www.scottcountymo.com or by mail, if taken to the post office by Friday. All mailed taxes will have to be postmarked by Dec. 31 to avoid interest and penalty...

Bulldogs fall in first round(12/29/06)DYERSBURG, Tenn. -- The Sikeston Bulldogs basketball team ran into a high- flying, athletic Brighton (Tenn.) team in the first round of the Dyersburg Christmas Tournament as they suffered a 73-64 loss at Dyersburg High School Thursday afternoon. The Cardinals (9-4) could seemingly turn on their pressure defense at will, causing numerous Bulldog turnovers...

Portageville rebounds against Bernie(12/29/06)BLOOMFIELD - After three days of action at the 50th Annual Bloomfield Christmas Tournament, the top two seeds will battle for the title on Friday night. No. 1 seed Malden has rolled through the tournament, winning by an average margin of 37 points. In the semifinals on Thursday night, Malden easily handled the Puxico Indians 71-46 to advance to the finals...

Walter Bratcher(12/29/06)EAST PRAIRIE - Walter Hearlon Bratcher, 88, died at 3:50 p.m. Dec. 28, 2006, in the East Prairie Nursing Center. Born Nov. 10, 1918, in the Windyville Community near East Prairie, son of the late William Mace and Katie Elizabeth Sipp Bratcher, he worked for many years in St. Louis as a machinist before returning to East Prairie in 1977. He was a member of the Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston...

Gertrude Lane(12/29/06)SIKESTON -- Gertrude May "Granny" Lane, 94, died at 9:40 p.m. Dec. 28, 2006, at the Miner Nursing Center in Miner. Born March 7, 1912, near Matthews, to the late Harvey Harrison and Margaret Virginia Roark Casteel, she lived most of her life in Sikeston. She was a member of the General Baptist Church where she served in several capacities including church secretary and Sunday school teacher...

Lucille Cook(12/29/06)PORTAGEVILLE -- Lucille Cook, 81, died Dec. 28, 2006, at Pemiscot County Memorial Health System in Hayti. Born May 10, 1925, in Lake County, Tenn., she was the daughter of the late John W. and Effie Davidson Crabtree. On Oct. 14, 1975, at Portageville, she married Millard Cook who survives of the home...

Jean Nea(12/29/06)CHARLESTON - Jean Beard Nea, 90, formerly of Dexter, died Dec. 28, 2006, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Dec. 29, 1915, at Bunkum, Ill., to the late Walter H. and Lurlyne Moore Beard, she lived most of her life in St. Louis where she graduated from Miss Hickey's Secretarial School before moving to Charleston in 1976. She was of the Methodist belief...

Alphonzo Greer(12/29/06)LILBOURN - Alphonzo "Scout" Greer. 75, died Dec. 27, 2006, at the Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Born Nov. 11, 1931, in Holland, Mo., to the late Bennie and Mattie Lee Greer, he was a graduate of O'Bannon High School in New Madrid and Metropolitan State College in Denver where he earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology. He was in the United States Air Force from 1952-1961, serving as an Airman 1st Class...

Walter Abernathy(12/29/06)SIKESTON -- Walter Herman "Abby" Abernathy, 94, formerly of Malden, died Dec. 6, 2006, at the Clearview Nursing Center. Born Dec. 21, 1911, at Kennett, he was the son of the late Noah and Dolly Sherman Abernathy. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Sherman Abernathy and John Abernathy; and five sisters, Dallas Mae Abernathy, Virginia Abernathy, Grace Fitzpatrick, Fern Eubanks and Faye Wadeking...

Joe Heisserer(12/29/06)NEW HAMBURG - Joseph A. "Joe" Heisserer, 67, died at 1:05 p.m. Dec. 27, 2006, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Sept. 20, 1939, at Kelso, to the late Joseph Phillip and Coletta L. Glastetter Heisserer, he was a self-employed mechanic and a farmer. He was a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg and St. Joseph Sodality...

Mary Lou Montgomery(12/29/06)MARION, Ark. - Mary Lou (Stinnett) Montgomery, 72, died Dec. 21, 2006, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. She was a homemaker and a member of Marion First Baptist Church. Survivors include: her husband, John O. Montgomery of Marion; two daughters and sons-in-law, Jenny and Elmer West of Marion and Cynthia and Ronnie Gosney of Miami; two sons and one daughters-in-law, John O. ...

Jim Green(12/29/06)SIKESTON -- Jim Henry Green, 75, died Dec. 25, 2006, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Born April 1, 1931, in Mississippi, he was the son of the late Jim and Birtha Winget. Survivors include: four daughters, Diane Kemp, Birtha Brown, Doris Alexander and Darlene Alexander of Grand Rapids, Mich.; and 11 grandchildren and 21 great-children...

Edna M. Heath(12/29/06)DOGWOOD - Edna M. Heath, 95, died at 10:45 a.m. Dec. 28, 2006, in the Bertrand Nursing Facility. Born Feb. 2, 1911, in the Dogwood Community, to the late Walter P. and Nettie C. Holland Maxwell, she lived all of her life in Dogwood where she was a member of the Dogwood Methodist Church and her husband farmed and owned and operated the Dogwood Store and Oil Company...

Looking Back 12/29(12/29/06)SIKESTON - Thirteen scantily clad persons occupying the four apartments on the second floor of the Fair Grove Grocery Store building were rousted from their homes into 18-degree weather Monday morning by a fire that gutted the second story. BLOOMFIELD - The Bloomfield Wildcats upended the Matthews Pirates to take the championship game of the Bloomfield basketball tournament...

Your view: 911 response(12/29/06)This letter is in response to the article "Dispatching Charges May Increase in County" that ran in your paper on 12-13-2007. As a tax payer of the county and a land line (home phone) user I feel compelled to voice my concerns on how the Scott County Commissioners have handled the 911 in general...

Speakout 12/29(12/29/06)In answer to Do your part, why can't the local police do their part when an animal is being abused and being inadequately provided for without some person calling it in? If they saw some person walking down the street doing something suspicious, they'd stop them. ...